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First fruit pies feature rhubarb

The first fresh fruit pies of the year are actually made from a vegetable.

Yes, technically, rhubarb is a vegetable, not a fruit. But these sour stalks, sweetened with sugar and often teamed with other fruits, make some of the best desserts you’ll ever taste.

If you have a backyard with a spot of sun, you can easily grow your own rhubarb. Just give the roots plenty of rich compost in which to grow, and the stalks will come back year after year. Rhubarb stalks are easy to freeze. Wash, cut in pieces, and pop into a freezer bag or container.

For filling, combine rhubarb, sugar and half the water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until rhubarb is saucy, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Mix together cornstarch and cold water. Add to rhubarb and cook until sauce clears and thickens. Set aside to cool.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square pan.

For crust, sift together flour and baking powder in medium bowl. Cut in butter. Beat egg and milk together. Stir into flour mixture until well blended. Pat into bottom of greased pan. Pour cooled rhubarb sauce over crust.

For topping, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in vanilla and the egg. Stir in grated coconut. Spread over the rhubarb sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature before cutting. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Pineapple Rhubarb Pie

•2 cups rhubarb, cut in 1/2-inch pieces

•1 cup crushed pineapple

•pastry for double crust pie

•1 cup sugar

•2 tablespoons flour

•1/8 teaspoon salt

•2 eggs, beaten

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a pie plate with plain pastry. Mix rhubarb with sugar, flour, salt and eggs. Spoon or pour half of the mixture into bottom shell. Spread half the pineapple over the rhubarb. Repeat these two layers. Cover with top crust. Press edges together and trim. Prick top to let steam escape. If a glazed surface is desired, brush top of pie with milk, cream or melted butter. Bake 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue baking in 30 minutes.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Custard Pie

•Pastry for double-crust, 9-inch pie

•3 large eggs, beaten

•1/4 cup milk

•13/4 cups sugar

•1/3 cup all-purpose flour

•3 cups sliced rhubarb

•1 cup halved fresh strawberries

•1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Roll half of pastry to form a 1/8-inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Place in a 9-inch pie plate; set aside. Combine eggs and milk in a large bowl; stir well. Add sugar and flour; stir well. Gently fold in rhubarb and strawberries. Pour filling mixture into pie shell. Dot with butter.

Roll remaining pastry to 1/8-inch thickness, transfer to top of pie. Trim off excess pastry along edges. Fold edges under and crimp. Cut slits in top of pie to let steam escape. Bake at 400 degrees for one hour. (Cover the edges of pastry with foil to prevent excessive browning after 30 minutes.) Cool on wire rack.